Just wondering does any one know the actual 12volt battery charge rate from these power converters.specs say 13.5v at 45 amp,I assume that 45 amp is power supplied to the van usage, no reference for charge rate to battery, I have been trolling around and the only discription is"an ordinary trickle charger" also how is the 13.5 v charge going to effect the life of my AGM battery,maybe I need to use solar charging direct to battery and not 240v for storage
Hi,
here are my thoughts. I am sure others will have similar but varying thoughts based on their own practcal experiences or technical training.
I would get a multimeter and measure the voltage when the Centurion is charging and you are reasonably sure the battery is fully charged.
Then compare that voltage to the specs for the battery which are usually printed on the battery. If not, Google your battery model and get a copy of the specs for your particular battery.
These are very old and simple units, so most unlikely to be a multistage charger with charging cycles for bulk, absorption, float, or storage.
Then you will be able to determine if the charging voltage is correct or not. Too high and you will cook the battery, to low and it will not be charged or maintained in an optimal state.
If in doubt, I wouldn't use the Centurion to maintain the battery when in storage and either get a small solar panel and controller with multi-stage charging cycles (40-50W would be sufficient) or a small 240V multistage charger around 5-10A would be my suggestion. Repco have battery chargers regularly on special at a good discount. Other options are Jaycar, Altronics, or SCA. But ensure they have the correct voltage settings for your battery type.
An inexpensive charger is a small investment to maintain the more expensive deep cycle batteries and improve the chances of the batteries working correctly when you are off camping.
Solar panels do, of course, have the added advantage of recovering your batteries whilst you are camping off-grid.
take care
Mike